Automatic winding device for timepieces



AUTOMATIC WINDING DEVICE FOR TIMEPIECES Filed. NOV. V9, 1931 X /mbeagwww @y y, WQ-

Patented May 23, 1933 UNITED vSIili'fllSi EATENT OFFICE FRITZ BARBEZAT,OF LA. CHAUX MADER & CO., OF CI-IZARD, NEUCI-IATEL, SWITZERLANDAUTOMATIC WINDING DEVICE FOR TIMEPIECES Application filed November 9,1931,

by means of which the spring of a wrist watch is wound up by themovements or' the arm of the wat-ch bearer.

The invention consists in the provision ot a supporting member fixed tothe wrist strap of the watch and to which the watch caso is connected bymeans ot' pivoted links permitting the watch case to effect analternating movement relative to the supporting member, an actuatingmechanism being provided between the supporting member and the drivingspring to eiiect winding ot the spring owing to the influence ot thesaid relative movement.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a. plan view of a wrist watch in accordance with theinvention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the watch.

Figure 3 is a section showing the watch movement from the side ot thebridges.

Figure 4 is a section along the line` IV- IV ot Figure 3.

In the represented example, the movement 1 is located in the watch case2 ot rectangular shape, mounted on a cradle-like supporting member 3destined to rest on the wrist of the bearer of the watch. The connectionbetween the watch case and the supporting member is made by means of twopairs of links 4 and 5 adapted to pivot in vertical planes parallel tothe longitudinal sides ot the watch case.

The two ends of the supporting member 3 are bent up and to each end issecured one end of the wrist strap 6. The links 4 ot the first pair areeach connected on the one hand to an aXis 7 fixed t-o the cradle 3, andon the other hand by means of pins 8 to the longitudinal sides of thecase 2. The links 5 of the second pair have each one end pivoted on anaxis 9 ot the cradle 3, and their purpose of Serial No. 573,980, and inSwitzerland September 23, 1931.

ends 10 are rio'idly connected to a shaft 11, penetrating the case 2 andthe movement 'l in which it is rotatably mounted. The shaft 11 isprovided with a crank 12 adapted to rotate in an empty space 1 providedin the movement. To this crank Vis hinged one end 13 ot a spring pawl 14having its other end 15 cooperating with the toothing 1G ot a ratchetwheel 17 mounted on a pinion carried by the spring drum shatt. A rotaining pawl 18 cooperates with the ratchet 1T, while 19 indicates aspring fixed to the movement 1 and to the spring pawl 14 :tor themaintaining the end 15 ot the pawl constantly in contact with theratchet 1 f The case 2 enclosing the movement 1, and mounted in thedescribed manner on the supporting member 3 can thus move relative tothis member owing to the action ot shocks produced bythe. movements ofthe arm of the watch bearer. The case is guided in its movements by thetwo pairs ot rods 4 and 5 and can thus reciprocate between the limits ofits two eXtreme positions shown in full and dotted lines in Fig. 2.

Then the watch moves from the left to the right in Fig. 2, the shaft 11turns slightly in the direction of the arrow f, about the axis 9 intothe position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, whereby the spring pawl 14is moved trom the right to the lett in Fig. 3 relative to the watch anddrives the ratchet wheel 17, to wind the main spring. lVhen the watchmoves in opposite direction, the shaft 11 also turns in oppositedirection to the arrow f and moves from the lett towards the rightsliding over the teeth ot the ratchet which is retained in its positionby the pawl 18. The two ends 20 of the strap 6 are secured in such amanner to the supporting member 3 as to penetrate into the cradle and toact as shock absorbers for the movements of the watch and also preventany noise, the

the spring pawlA DE FONDS, SWITZERLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRM.

watch coming not in contact with the supporting member.

In order to avoid overwindin of the main spring when this latter is fnly wound up, the movement may comprise any known friction connectionbetween the main spring and the drum.

I claim:-

1. An automatic winding device for the driving spring of timepieces,comprising a supporting member for the timepiece, a pair of connectinglinks pivoted to the timepiece and to the supporting member whereby thetimepiece'may execute an alternating move- '"rent relative to thesupporting member, a rotatable operatiiig member carried `by thetimepiece and connected to the driving spring, a pair of connectingAlinks pivoted to thefsupporting member and secured to a shaft rotatablymounted in the timepiece, 'and 'means for operatively connecting saidsha'ftto 'said operating member and adapted to rotate said operatingmember upon relative movement `between the timepiece and the supportingmember.

In a spring driven wrist watch having a watch case including 'amovement, a cradle-'like supporting member for the watch case secured tothe wrist strap, connecting links pivoted to the Watch case and tothesupporting memberfwhereby the watch 'case may execute 'an alternatingmovement relative 'to the supporting member, a rotatable operatin memberfor fthe driving "sp carried the watch case, and actuating connectionsbetween said operating member and said 'supporting member to 'rotate theoperating member upon relative movement bet'ween'the watch case `and'the supporting member, the ends 'off the Wrist strap penetrat'ng V'intothe interior of the cradle-like supporting 'member to act as shockabsorbers for 1vthe 'movements of the watch case.

3. In a. winding device for the driving spring of 'timepieces, thecombination, with a supporting 'member for "the timepiece, of`connecting 'links :pivoted to the supporting member and to'thetimepiece whereby lthe timepiece may execute an valternating move-'ment relative to the supporting member, a rotatable operating membercarried by 'the 'tlmepiece and connected to Ythe driving ``apr1n,g f,'acrank member rotatably mounted v in'the timepiece and @pivoted to thesupportmg member, and a pawlcarriedby the'crank member 'and coactingwith said 'rotatable operating member to turn the ko erating member'upon lrelative movement etween the timepiece and the supporting member.

"4. In a'timep'iece having a'sprln'g driven movement, a relativelystationary member, a relativel, Imovable 'movement carrier eapable of'eecting an'alternating movement rrelative to the Stationary mem'ber, ashaft in'tatably mounted on `the movement and ture.

FRITZ BARBEZAT.

